Anon Lil 97VII
Martin Chase (ed.) 2007, ‘Anonymous Poems, Lilja 97’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry on Christian Subjects. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 7. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 672-3.
Veri ‘be’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
[1] Veri: Verið 622, 4892, Verði Vb, 41 8°ˣ
kátar ‘glad’
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kátr (adj.; °compar. -ari, superl. -astr): cheerful, glad
[1] kátar: kátir 622, 713
nú ‘now’
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nú (adv.): now
virða ‘of men’
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virðr (noun m.): man
sveitir ‘Hosts’
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sveit (noun f.; °-ar; -ir): host, company
vætti ‘I expect’
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vætta (verb): expect
[2] vætti: því vænti eg 99a, vænti eg 622, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892, vætti eg 713, vænti 705ˣ
þess ‘this’
[2] þess: þess eg 705ˣ
í ‘in’
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í (prep.): in, into
kvæðis ‘poetic’
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kvæði (noun n.; °-s; -): poem
hætti ‘form’
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1. háttr (noun m.; °-ar, dat. hætti; hættir, acc. háttu): behaviour, measure, verse-form
várkunni ‘they will excuse’
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várkunna (verb): excuse, forgive
[3] várkunni (‘[...]orkynne’): so 713, várkunnigr Bb, várkynnið 99a, 713, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ, vera kann hið 622, várkynnið 4892
að ‘that’
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4. at (conj.): that
[3] að: þó 99a, þó að 713, 705ˣ, mier Vb, 41 8°ˣ, om. 4892
verka ‘poem’
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verk (noun n.; °-s; -): deed
[3] verka: verknað 99a, 622, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892, verkan 713
þenna ‘this’
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1. sjá (pron.; °gen. þessa dat. þessum/þeima, acc. þenna; f. sjá/þessi; n. þetta, dat. þessu/þvísa; pl. þessir): this
[3] þenna: so 622, 713, 705ˣ, þinna Bb, þennan 99a, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892
vanda ‘execute’
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vanda (verb): fashion, execute
[4] vanda: vandi 99a, þó vandi Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 4892
eg ‘I’
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ek (pron.; °mín, dat. mér, acc. mik): I, me
minnr ‘less well’
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minnr (adv.): [less well, less]
[4] minnr: miðr 99a, 622, 713, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ, 4892
en ‘than’
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4. en (conj.): than
þætti ‘it would seem’
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2. þykkja (verb): seem, think
[4] þætti: ‘þikki til’ 99a, Vb, 41 8°ˣ, 705ˣ, 4892
standa ‘to merit’
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standa (verb): stand
mest ‘of great’
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meiri (adj. comp.; °meiran; superl. mestr): more, most
allra ‘of all’
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allr (adj.): all
orða ‘words’
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orð (noun n.; °-s; -): word
undirstaðan ‘meaning’
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undirstaða (noun f.): [meaning]
[6] undirstaðan: að undirstaða 622
notes
[6] riettlig undirstaðan ‘the right meaning’: Lit. ‘right foundation’. Lie (1952, 78) interprets this as the skald’s argument for the precedence of content over form in poetry: words should be chosen for their ability to express the thoughts and feelings of the poet rather than to satisfy formal requirements. Undirstaða came to have a precise meaning in ON religious literature (see Fritzner: undirstaða 4). The homily on the wedding at Cana in HómÍsl 1993, 87r speaks of the difficulty of understanding or distinguishing (vér skilem) the true meaning of the gospel (uɴder ſtǫþor goþſpiallz). In the prologue to Nikolaus saga erkibyskups II, the translator prays that his version may worthily reflect the efni ok undirstodu ‘substance and meaning’ of his Lat. exemplar (Unger 1877, II, 50). FoGT uses the word in its definition of paradigma, which uses examples with similar meanings (eiginligri undirstöðu) to illustrate an idea (SnE 1848-87, II, 214). The concern of the skald in this st. is more likely the right expression of the theological import of his matter than of his own thoughts and feelings.
sie ‘be’
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2. vera (verb): be, is, was, were, are, am
riettlig ‘the right’
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réttligr (adj.): [right, proper]
notes
[6] riettlig undirstaðan ‘the right meaning’: Lit. ‘right foundation’. Lie (1952, 78) interprets this as the skald’s argument for the precedence of content over form in poetry: words should be chosen for their ability to express the thoughts and feelings of the poet rather than to satisfy formal requirements. Undirstaða came to have a precise meaning in ON religious literature (see Fritzner: undirstaða 4). The homily on the wedding at Cana in HómÍsl 1993, 87r speaks of the difficulty of understanding or distinguishing (vér skilem) the true meaning of the gospel (uɴder ſtǫþor goþſpiallz). In the prologue to Nikolaus saga erkibyskups II, the translator prays that his version may worthily reflect the efni ok undirstodu ‘substance and meaning’ of his Lat. exemplar (Unger 1877, II, 50). FoGT uses the word in its definition of paradigma, which uses examples with similar meanings (eiginligri undirstöðu) to illustrate an idea (SnE 1848-87, II, 214). The concern of the skald in this st. is more likely the right expression of the theological import of his matter than of his own thoughts and feelings.
fundin ‘found’
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2. finna (verb): find, meet
notes
[7] eigi glögg ‘obscuring’: Lit. ‘not clear’. The sense seems to be not that the rules themselves are not clear, but that observance of them darkens the clarity of the text.
glögg ‘the obscuring’
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gløggr (adj.; °-van; compar. -(v)ari/-ri, superl. -(v)astr/-str): clear
[7] glögg: glöggt 622
notes
[7] eigi glögg ‘obscuring’: Lit. ‘not clear’. The sense seems to be not that the rules themselves are not clear, but that observance of them darkens the clarity of the text.
eddu ‘of the Edda’
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2. edda (noun f.): edda
hljóti ‘must’
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hljóta (verb): alot, gain
[8] hljóti: so 713, verði Bb, 622, hlýtr 99a, 705ˣ
víkja ‘give way’
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víkja (verb): turn
stundum ‘at times’
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stundum (adv.): at times, sometimes
Interactive view: tap on words in the text for notes and glosses
Peter Foote (1982, 122-3) comments on this st. and the following, ‘Eysteinn is not a solitary pioneer but represents a movement: a similar reaction is voiced less explicitly by Abbot Arngrímr Brandsson (died 1361) in st. 2 of Guðmundar kvæði and more explicitly by Abbot Árni Jónsson (died c. 1380) in st. 78 of Guðmundar drápa’.
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